Copenhagen Cargo Bikes
When you first visit Copenhagen, the first thing you'll notice after being mesmerized by the sheer number of cyclists on the roads is the eclectic kinds of bikes, especially ones that carry groceries, baggage, furniture or other people & children. As Copenhagenize's Mikael Colville-Andersen happily points out: for many in his city, the cargo bike is equivalent to the SUV.
Thus, for this final chapter in Streetfilms' 2010 Copenhagen Triology (check here: for previous vids on bicycling & pedestrian space) we present this quirky look at some of the types of wonderful bikes that are used by the public. We randomly spoke to folks gallavanting about town on their vehicles, attended the 2010 Danish Cargo Bike Championships, and got to speak with Hans Fogh, owner of Larry vs.Harry, a cargo bike-making specialty shop. The result here is really just a melody of vignettes, which only ever so slightly touches on the vast cargo bike phenomenon.
But most impressive comes just over one minute in, where you will witness one of the more amazing bike feats we've ever seen on film: a father transporting four children, a bike, a half dozen bags, on what can only be described as a cargo bike plus. It still makes us tired just watching it.
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<p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman">[intro music]</font> <br>
</p>
<p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><i>Claudia:</i> [00:22]
These are important as to have a car. Like I don’t have a car
because I have this. If you have children, so you put your children
in here or the chiller off my daughter, I put it there, or the groceries.</font></p>
<p> <br></p>
<p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"></font></p>
<p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><i>Mikael Colville-Andersen:</i>
[00:33] It’s a city with 40% of the population who own cars, only
40%, so it’s the way to get around. That’s why we have so
many cargo bikes. This is our SUV and, you know, I have two kids,
I use my cargo bike to get them around, it’s practical, I have to.</font></p>
<p> <br></p>
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<p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><i>Hans Fogh:</i> [00:47]
Families with two kids in Copenhagen 25% of these families have or have
been owning a cargo bike, so it’s a lot of people. It’s serious
in Copenhagen, it’s not just for fun nor for the nerdy people.
This is transportation. </font></p>
<p> <br></p>
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<p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><i>Speaker:</i> [01:03]
That’s amazing. </font></p>
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<p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><i>Speaker:</i> [01:08]
You have one in the back as well?</font></p>
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<p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><i>Speaker:</i> [01:11]
Way back here. Oh my goodness. Good luck. </font></p>
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<p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"></font></p>
<p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><i>Thorbjorn:</i> [01:27]
Hello, welcome to Copenhagen. This is my cargo bike. I use
it to drive my girlfriend around, she’s crazy about it, it’s absolutely
wonderful. I use it to, to taxi around people in Copenhagen at
night.</font></p>
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<p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"></font></p>
<p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><i>April Greene:</i>
[01:41] It’s extremely comfortable. I feel very safe, it’s
very sturdy, lots of legroom and it’s also very comfortable because
he’s got this great cushion. He said it’s an old mattress,
but it feels very luxurious to me. I love it. </font></p>
<p> <br></p>
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<p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><i>Hans Fogh:</i> [01:59]
We’re producing this… the cargo bike, the Bullitt. We started
two and a half years ago selling the bikes and so far I guess we’ve
been selling, yeah, 500 bikes. This white bike is my wife’s
bike and she’s really looking good riding this bike, and that’s
a major part of riding the bike. </font></p>
<p> <br></p>
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<p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><i>Speaker:</i> [02:28]
That is impressive. </font></p>
<p> <br></p>
<p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"></font></p>
<p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><i>Claudia:</i> [02:30]
Before I came to Denmark to live, I sold my car in Mexico, and for the
same money I got this bike and it has changed the way I move.
I use it everyday.</font></p>
<p> <br></p>
<p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"></font></p>
<p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman">[music]</font> <br></p>
<p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><i>Mikael Colville-Andersen:</i>
[02:48] With kids out in the summer here today, you know, they’ll
buy a whole bunch of cheap bottles of water and fill up their mum’s
cargo bike with ice and stand out there selling it for ten krone.
We have the cocktail bike, you can send a text message to this guy and
he’ll come out with mojitos and strawberry daiquiris in thermoses
for you. We… there’s a newspaper bike selling tourist, you
know, for a newspaper. The crepes bike where people, you know,
make their pancakes for you, whatever you want, everything. And
it’s just exploded. This is one of the things I love about Copenhagen
is that we’re thinking new about bikes, what else, how else can we
implement bikes into the city. </font></p>
<p> <br></p>
<p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"></font></p>
<p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><i>Speaker:</i> [03:24]
Wow. </font></p>
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<p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><i>Hans Fogh:</i> [03:27]
I was a carpenter before we started to produce bikes. For 15 years
I only used cargo bikes for transportation. Logistically it was
perfect. I was the first guy out there, I was the first guy home,
and I was the guy with the longest vacation for the summertime cos I
didn’t have to pay for the van. </font></p>
<p> <br></p>
<p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"></font></p>
<p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><i>Claudia:</i> [03:43]
It’s faster. It gives you a lot of independence, and I also
think it’s because you also do exercise. So at the same time
instead of going to a fitness, you ride your bike and you can stay in
shape. </font></p>
<p> <br></p>
<p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"></font></p>
<p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><i>Speaker:</i> [03:54]
All set?</font></p>
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<p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><i>Speaker:</i> [03:55]
Now we’re going to race. </font></p>
<p> <br></p>
<p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"></font></p>
<p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman">[music]</font> <br></p>
<p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><i>Ida Auken:</i> [04:07]
I’m so proud of Copenhagen and things going on like today’s cargo
bike relay race.</font></p>
<p> <br></p>
<p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"></font></p>
<p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman">[music]</font> <br></p>
<p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><i>Speaker:</i> [04:10]
What was it like to [unintelligible 04:18]?</font></p>
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<p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><i>Ida Auken:</i> [04:19]
I think it was extremely fun, but a bit tough, you know, I actually
had that taste of blood in my mouth.</font></p>
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<p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><i>Hans Fogh:</i> [04:27]
I always had this vision about I sold a cargo bike to a zoo and I just
had this vision about all this elephant shit that they have to carry
in the cargo bike. </font> <br></p>
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